indicated above. It is possible also to "paint" them. The variation 

 in the shade of yellow in the yolk is due to the difference of the food. 

 The coloring of the egg shell is beyond the feeder's art, but food affects 

 the color of the yolk, as we have demonstrated. A pen of fowls fed 

 dried alfalfa leaves produced eggs of good yolk color. A similar 

 pen fed sugar beets in place of alfalfa leaves laid eggs very pale in 

 color. In an experiment at the Oregon station kale "painted" the 

 yolks a good color of yellow. It is also claimed that yellow corn will 

 give eggs the desired yolk color, but this, as yet, I have been unable 

 to verify. When eggs are very pale in the yolk it is an indication 

 that the hens are not getting green food enough. Clover, vetch, rape, 

 grass, or other green food, and doubtless other foods, will color the 

 yolks. A too highly-colored yolk is not desirable, and it is possible 

 for the hens to eat so much of certain foods as to color it too highly. 

 Where the ration is properly balanced this should not occur. Food 

 therefore affects the quality of the eggs. 



2. Food Affects the Quantity of Eggs, Other conditions being 

 right, good feeding will make the hen productive, and the productive 

 hen is the healthy hen. In a pen of four fowls at the Utah station, 

 eight hundred and four eggs were laid in one year. Another pen of 

 four, sisters to the others, fed on different food, laid only five hundred 

 and thirty-two eggs. The difference in the ration made the difference 

 in the egg yield. In another test one pen laid five hundred and 

 seventy-four eggs in a year, and a similar pen on a different ration 

 laid four hundred and four. 



3. Food Affects the Size of Eggs. Food and feeding influence 

 size of egg. Don't always blame the hens or the breed for small eggs. 

 An experiment has shown that food and management affect the size 

 of an egg. 



4. The Food Fed Affects the Profits. A proper study of foods 

 and feeding must include the prices as well as the composition of 

 foods. A ration, although it may give good results in egg yield may 

 not be profitable, because it is 



made up of too high-priced foods. 

 It is not necessary to use any cer- 

 tain kind or brand of foods. 

 There is no patent on egg-produc- 

 ing foods. It is not necessary to 

 pay more for the chickens' food 

 than for the food for the family 

 table. There are impracticable 

 rations because they are too high 

 priced. 



What is a Balanced Ration? A 

 balanced ration is one containing 

 the right kinds of nutrients' in 

 right proportions for the purpose 

 for which it is fed. 



We must know the composition 

 of foods before we can figure up 

 a balanced ration. It may not be necessary in practice for the 

 poultryman to figure up balanced rations for his flock. His experi- 

 ence or the experience of others or the results of tests at .experiment 



S. C. Minorca. 



